


Girls Night Out on Kadara

by Mythomagic



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drinking, Expanded Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Girls' Night, JUST KISS!, Longing, Romance, Slow Burn, Teasing, Watching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-10-18 02:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10607268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythomagic/pseuds/Mythomagic
Summary: With Kadara's vault purified, Ryder and the girls decide to take the night off and enjoy a girls night out in Tartarus. Feelings start to develop between Reyes and Ryder as they flirt and get to know more about each other. Set inside the game's story lines so it'll be a bit of fluff and longing (Sloan's Party / Rooftops haven't happened yet)Timeline: Day After the Roekaar Mission, Ryder Activating Monoliths and Purifying Kadara's Vault





	1. Kadara's Vault

"Another vault about to kill us. You guys ready?" Ryder asks after picking up some Remnant Polymer from the fallen Remnant around them. "You have the quickest path back to the entrance memorized?"

Peebee, who was collecting other useful materials, and Cora, who was moving an Observer out of the way, nodded.

"You know, I could start heading toward the..."

"Peebee, you're not going anywhere. What if this vault is different and we get ambushed on the way back. We need your back up here so you're not going anywhere." Cora scolded Peebee.

Peebee picked up a vault forged relay and responded "Yes, Mom" 

Shaking her head, Ryder climbs over the Remnant in front of her and heads to the console.  Making a mental checklist, she re-routes the way back to the entrance. Double checking which consoles need to be activated and which paths are already open. She also had to remember to pick up the remnant cache supply. The vaults on Eos and Voeld got her crew a lot of advanced equipment and whatever they couldn't use, they were able to get a high amount of credits in the marketplace. If she had to rely on the Initiative to upgrade her gear, they would be six feet under from old age. "Alright Girls. We get out of here, I'm treating us to a drink tonight. You in?"

"Kralla's or Tartarus?" Peebee asked

"Of Course Tartarus. Ryder probably wants to find a certain handsome smuggler." Cora commented slyly

"No" Ryder responded as she jumped down from the Destroyer that was in the way between the console and her "It would be nice to have a girls night out. I would also suggest Tartarus because the guys usually end up in Kralla's and it would be nice not to have them lurking around." Ryder punched in some data into her omni-tool. "So yeah, Tartarus. What do you say, we can get the other girls to join us? Have a few drinks... dance..."

"Flirt with a certain someone?" Gil's voice filtered in through her comm piece.

"Who? Reyes?" Ryder looked up from what she was doing. She noticed the girls smirk to each other. 

"I don't think Gil was referencing anyone specific" Cora teased.

"Yeah, I mean, there are other people we know in the slums. Dr. Nakamoto..." Peebee suggests

"Kain Dagher" Cora adds

"So why did you think of Reyes, Ryder?" Peebee questions

Ryder had no answer. She just responded to Gil without thinking about it. But these girls were dangerous when they were on the same side. Usually the two would bicker like sisters but when they agreed and found a poor soul to torment... they could make even the Archon want to find a dark hole to hide in. Thankfully Gil came to her rescue.

"Well I'm in and I'll get Suvi to come as well. Vetra's somewhere down on the port but she's always up for drinks."

Ryder was thankful to Gil. She didn't have anything against Reyes and she felt like the girls were looking into things a bit too much. Using the opening, Ryder added "Lexi might take some convincing but I think I can get her to join us as well." Ryder remembered the last time she saw Lexi at the bar. She was drinking away her sorrows. Hopefully Lexi remembers the conversation they had and decides to join them tonight.

"But are you sure we should leave Kallo alone on the ship?" Gil asks "Cora usually keeps away the scavengers but I don't see Kallo scaring anyone away. We might end up with our ship stolen and stranded on Kadara forever."

"But I guess you probably wouldn't mind that? Would you Ryder?" Cora teased.

_And the topic of Reyes comes back_. "Guys... What makes you think that I have any sort of attraction to Reyes? We're just..." But what were they? As Ryder was trying to figure out the best word for their relationship, the comms link came to life.

"Hot for each other?" Gil interjected

"No." Ryder quickly responded without fully comprehending what was said. When her brain finally processed what Gil said, she was taken aback "What?! No." An image of Reyes walking towards her flooded her thoughts. His lips part and one side lifts up giving a smile that made Ryder catch her breath. Her body tingled with the memory of Reyes coming toward her. So close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. An earthy smell mixed with whiskey and sweat aroused her senses. "Careful I'll start thinking you like me". It was a slightly deep tone that was softened to be sensual. She had looked up into his golden eyes. There was a mysterious light in them that she didn't notice before. "No, Reyes likes to tease me but I highly doubt he's actually attracted to me?"

"So why are you denying it so much?" Gil asked

"And you're looking a little flushed" Cora teased

"And your voice sounds a little breathy" Gil continued

Peebee scoffed "You guys should have been there yesterday when Reyes swooped in to save us from the Roekaar. Shooting his way down the stairs, running to your side. You didn't see him stand guard in front of me or Drack to protect us from the Roekaar or the bomb."

"Drack's too stubborn to be killed by a bomb or the Roekaar." Ryder retaliated

"But I'm not. I'm very fragile." Peebee dramatically exclaimed "Still, he doesn't give any of us a second glance when you're around. When we were leaving the base, he was only concerned about you and if you were alright." Ryder's memories went back to the base... the heat, the smell, the golden eyes and full lips. Forcing her mind past their flirtatious encounter, Ryder couldn't exactly remember if Reyes did address anyone else. Maybe he didn't. She could recall him fighting by her side. While she  lined up her shots with her sniper, Reyes made quick work of the Roekaar surrounding the two of them with his assault rifle. While Reyes reloaded, Ryder used her biotics to cover for Reyes. Then when he loaded his gun, Reyes gave her some cover fire so Ryder could line up her next shot. It was as if the two were in sync. Neither of them needed to delegated orders or ask for help. They were in tune to each other and knew what the other needed. It was difficult to find a team that fused well. Even with her team, in the beginning, she had to delegate orders and ask for things like cover fire. She didn't lie when she said they were a good team but she didn't feel she expressed herself well enough to him. How could she say in so many words that those feelings, oberservations, whatever they were to him. And then he started to move, his arm brushed against her. It was the faintest touch between the two but Ryder felt it through her armor. She turned and watched Reyes walk out the door. He came to her help as fast as he left.

"I don't know. I think you might be reading into this a bit too much" Ryder defended

"Whenever we meet him in Tartarus, both of you forget there are other people in the room. It's like you guys end up in a world of your own. You know... it's painful listening to you guys flirt. I think last time Drack and I actually left the room but neither of you guys noticed."

"Anyway..." Ryder cut Peebee off "Can we focus? Death Cloud here waiting to kill us. Can we get back to this?" Ryder tried to distract them. How did they get on this conversation anyway?

"Fine. But this isn't over Ryder." Cora taunted. Ryder ignored the comment. As she stepped up to the console, she didn't realize how aware she had been of Reyes. But this was not the time or the place to reflect on this revelation.

"SAM, start interface" The Console sprung to life. "Okay. Get Ready to Run" Ryder got her feet situated to kick off sprinting. Her feet had an energy that was waiting to be released but was being restricted. Finally Ryder saw the blue energy pillar turn red. She cut her connection with the Remnant Pillar and her biotics flared to life. She charged toward the exit. "Here it Comes! Go, Go!" As she ran, the force field in front of her turned red. Ryder jumped and used another biotic charge to avoid entering the distortion field.

"How is any of this a good planning mechanism?" Ryder complained "Who thought 'As we reboot this system, lets run to the exit and have a death cloud chase us. And to add to the fun let add disruptor fields as an obstacle' ". As she passed the doorway, Peebee and Cora were already waiting at the ramp for Ryder to activate the console to her left. "But that's not fun enough, let's add a checkpoint" Ryder interfaces with the Console. 

"Shit Ryder! The Death Cloud is coming through fast. Ryder, we need the Console!" Cora panicked through the comms.

"A really slow checkpoint" Finally the Console activated. The Door closed and the pathway ahead emerged. Ryder ran to the edge, jumped, and used her jump jet to push her forward. The doors weren't going to hold the Death Cloud back for long. Jumping across the electrified black goo to the platform, Ryder was about to move the the path on the left when she heard Peebee yell into the comms.

"Ryder! We closed that pathway!"

"Shit" Ryder reprimanded herself while redirecting herself to jump across to the right. _How can I have been so stupid! I knew the path. Went over it so many times before activating the purification process. It's cause they started talking about Reyes. All thoughts and preparation just escaped my mind_. Images of Reyes snuck into her mind as she continued to run through the vault.

"Ryder! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ryder snapped back to reality. She was about to follow the girls across the bridge. Looking behind her she realized she passed up the remnant cache. The barrier was down. She looked to her left and could see the smoke was half way between the door and the remnant cache. "I got it! Just go" Ryder backtracked to the room to pick up the rem-tech. Leaving the room, she saw Peebee and Cora were already on the platform ahead and looking back to see if Ryder was coming. Running forward, Ryder looked back to see where the death cloud was. She still had time. Running across the bridge her biotics flared. She jumped and charged for the platform, Ryder finally made it to the console at the vault's exit. She was exhausted and out of breath. Peebee and Cora were breathing just as heavily and she was grateful for the silence as they made their way to the gravity well.

Walking out of the remnant vault, Ryder looked up into the clear sky. Ryder could smell the difference. The overpowering smell of eggs was significantly reduced. "God I hate running" she said as she collapsed against the vault's pillar.

Breathless and surprised, Peebee was quick to react "Seriously?! But that's all we seem to do." She laid on the ground where she was standing "Run towards this. Run away from that. I thought you had some sick pleasure running everywhere"

"Oh no. That was Alec." Cora cut in. "Trust me. I received some of his informal training. I don't know how you and Scott survived growing up" She was still somehow on her feet ready to fight at the first sign of trouble

"But weren't you in the System's Military Alliance?" Peebee continued to ask as she laid sprawled out across the vault's entrance floor

"Didn't mean I enjoyed running. My assignment were either peacekeeping missions or working with Prothean researchers. When my Dad was the pathfinder, my supporting role was to establish relations during first contact and keep a look out for artifacts and other new technology"

"Huh..." Peebee surprisingly didn't go on. Probably cause she was still trying to catch her breath.

Over the comms, SAM started to give some data regarding the environmental changes. Ryder barely paid attention. Finally when SAM was done, Lexi's voice came over on Comms. "Ryder? Since you're by the water, could you bring back a few samples for me to test?"

"The Pathfinders job is never done. I can barely sit for a minute and take a rest." Exasperated Ryder replied "Sure. On one condition. Tonight we take a break. All of us."

"...Girls" Cora clarified

"All of us Girls" Ryder correct

"and me" Gil interjected over comms

"That's what I said. All of us Girls." Teased Ryder. "I will get your water sample as long as you join the 6 of us out for drinks tonight. Deal?"

The silence dragged on. Ryder didn't want to push Lexi but Lexi never took a break. She needed a night out just as much as Ryder, maybe more. Plus, she needed to make more personal relations with everyone. Lexi was all professional all the time and not everyone was comfortable with that. Finally Lexi came on over the comms. "Fine but..."

"Great!" Ryder cut Lexi off. She didn't want to hear any buts. Standing up Ryder walked over to the water "I'm getting you the readings now."

Scanning the water and obtaining a few water samples, SAM interjected that the water was no longer acidic and was completely safe to drink.

"Holy Crap" Cora said as she walked up next to Ryder. "The purification process works fast."

SAM interjected "I surmise that not all the water on Kadara has been purified yet. My best hypothesis is that this body of water has been cleared of all impurities because it is right next to the remnant vault. The other bodies of water should take a few days to be purified."

As SAM was talking, Ryder had the most fantastic idea. Ryder started to unclasp the hinges of her armor. Removing her armor, Ryder's sweating skin welcomed the fresh air. Her shirt was plastered against her body. Ryder dove into the water. The water wrapped itself around Ryder and absorbed into her clothes. It had been over 600 years since she went swimming. As Ryder's head broke the surface of the water she was greeted with a hysterical Cora.

"Ryder what the hell are you thinking!"How can you just take your armor off. We're in Kadara! Home of Exiles and Pirates. And we're in the Badlands, where the exiles get exiled! Every corner we turn we have Outcasts and Collective shooting at us! Taking off you're armor in this area is such a...!" What it was, Cora didn't get to finish. She didn't realize Peebee was sneaking up behind her and before Cora knew it, she was pushed into the pond.

Another slash of Peebee jumping in right behind followed. Peebee surfaced and laughed. Finally, Cora composed herself. Standing in the water she looked at her gun. "Well this is crap now"

Ryder laughed. "Come on Cora. Enjoy the refreshing water. I'm, personally, tired of having to ration my shower time. My guns are dry and we all have Biotics. If trouble finds us then I think we can go on the defense a bit before we have to go on the offensive. Plus with all the changes happening to the planet, I think people are going to be a little distracted. I just want to relax" Ryder started to lean back and float on her back "and get the sweat from running off of me"

SAM interrupted the conversation, "Please refrain from skinny dipping Ryder" Ryder let out a loud laugh remembering the first time she saw the acidic water on Kadara and made a comment about skinny dipping. She'd never seen two men get more flustered then Jaal and Liam did that day. Jaal didn't understand the slang and requested more information from Liam. Ryder had a hard time appearing very serious as she listened to Liam fumble through an explanation. It didn't help that she pretend to be offended that he was using her, their "Pathfinder" as a visual reference. Liam had corrected himself multiple times from using Ryder as an example to a generic person in the explanation. 

Ryder heard Cora sigh and toss her gun back on solid ground making an excuse that she was already wet and it'll only be for a couple minutes. But then Lexi came over comms and started to lecture them about not analyzing the water properly before jumping into the water and how she would need to examine them when they came back to the Tempest. Peebee started to argue back to Lexi about not wanting to be her lab rat. Ryder stopped paying attention. Somehow, life felt normal again. As she floated on her back, she thought she saw some movement in the mountains. Focusing on the area, she saw a shuttle depart into the air. Shuttles flying and landing all across Kadara weren't new but somehow this shuttle caught her eye.


	2. Persona's Converge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes Vidal was always able to keep his Persona's separated but when he's around Ryder he forgets he's got an image to uphold.
> 
> Time Period: Morning and Afternoon the day Ryder Purifies the Vault
> 
> Next Chapter will be the night out in Tartarus

**Time: Morning**

Reyes Vidal has survived because he's taken every opportunity given to him and used it to his advantage. Though Reyes Vidal was a smuggler who appeared not to care about anything but credits and the pleasures of life, He was also the Charlatan. The Charlatan was deceptive, opportunistic, patient and he was not going to let this opportunity, for as long as he had it, slip through his fingers. He laid in bed listening to the chatter coming through his omni tool. 

"Come on, seriously? Every soldier has tattoos" a perky female voice is heard through the speakers. He recalls hearing that voice yesterday. The asari? Phoebe was it? Looking over at the datapads surrounding him, he found the one with info about the asari on Ryder's team. Pelessanria B'Sayle aka Peebee. _I understand why she would want to go with the nickname_ , Reyes thinks

"Not where you'll ever see them" A stern female voice thick with annoyance responds. He looks over the data of Ryder's team. Dr. Suvi Anwar, Science Officer in astrophysics and microbiology. Reyes moves to the next file, Dr. Lexi T'Perro, Tempest Medical Doctor. _Nope_. Vetra Nyx, Mercenary. He knew of Vetra's reputation and he highly doubted that a chatty, bouncy associate would have Vetra lose face. Disregarding the file, he looks to the last female file. Lieutenant Cora Harper, second in command. This is probably the voice of the second person.

He barely paid any mind while the girls bickered. _This conversation isn't going to give me any useful information_. Reyes closed his eyes and rubbed his head with his hand. Three girls driving around the Badlands and they're bickering about tattoos. Sighing, Reyes looks to the monitors on his wall displaying images of Ryder on various planets, mission reports from the Initiative, and personal data he accumulated through his various contacts. 

"So... Ryder?" the perky asari, Peebee, clearly up to something

His attention was alerted back on the transmission but image Ryder walking into Tartarus flashed in his mind. She was covered in the white armor that he's come to associate with her. Throughout his time here in Heleus, he hadn't known or seen any other person sporting armor like hers. It was difficult not to appreciate how the armor accentuated her natural curves and shape, especially since she didn't use fabric enhanced armor like he did.  He couldn't help wondering, under all that armor, if she might have a tattoo, what it could be and where it would be located.

"Well..." Ryder's voice pauses. His monitor flashed to an image of Ryder in Kadara Port. She was walking down the stairs from the second level loading dock to the marketplace in her casual wear, chaste for Kadara. Any other place it would be normal but on Kadara, women of Ryder's beauty wore clothing that left little to the imagination, when not wearing armor. Like her armor, her clothes accentuated her frame. Her unique jacket of blue and white, similar to the Initiative colors but not standard issued clothing half zipped and with it a matching white scarf and black gloves. It was a mix of hard and soft that he's come to enjoy finding in the aspects that were Sara Ryder but it was apparent that many exiles on Kadara looked at Ryder as prey. 

"I think if you buy her a drink, charm her a bit... " Ryder could be heard responding. _But the Pathfinder is far from weak_. Reyes's lips turned up into a smirk. Clearly she was avoiding the question which made him all the more intrigued. 

"I meant you. Do you have any tattoos?" Peebee pressed on. Part of him, the Reyes Vidal side of him didn't want to find out the answer. He wanted to accept the challenge of finding out her mysteries.

"No..." Ryder let the response drag on. "No, I don't" He was disappointed to have uncovered the answer so easily.

"Seriously?" the bubbly voice suspicious 

"I would surmise that Ryder is telling the truth" a professional and heavily accented voice contributed into the conversation.

After initially meeting the Pathfinder a month ago, he used his resources to acquire a scrambler and developed an untraceable omni tool. It wasn't until yesterday, after fighting off the Roekaar, that he was able to successfully bug his link to her secure connection. It took him a while to figure out that, though Ryder had a secure connection, she left her communications open with her squad mates and crew aboard the Temptest. It made him uncomfortable to learn the ease that her crew monitored her communications and contributed into conversations, as if they were there alongside her. He was always discreet in any encounters he had but he still spent the night going over every encounter and conversation they had the past few weeks. Trying to determine if he may have unintentionally given information that could bring any suspicion onto him. But after hours of listening, he realized that Ryder only had the connections open when she went out in the Badlands. Any communication inside Kadara Port was done in person or was relayed through her AI, SAM. He was impressed. Foresight seemed to come naturally to Ryder. Something he wished some of his agents had more of. If she wasn't the Pathfinder, he would have tried to recruit her into the Collective. 

"How do you figure?" the asari pried

"Ryder's adrenaline levels spike whenever a needle is involved. Initially, I found it interesting but as we've been on 6 different planets and medical examinations are required for analysis. It's been quite entertaining seeing Ryder's levels spike every time I bring out the needle"

_Interesting, my dear Pathfinder_. As the Charlatan this was potentially a vital piece of information. 

"I fucking hate you, Lexi!" A chuckle from who was clearly the Tempest Doctor transmitted through the connection at Ryder's reaction "I thought you might have been enjoying your work too much but you always find everything so intriguing so I thought I was making shit up." There was a slight pause but Ryder apparently couldn't let the comment go "It's just a very minor fear. I don't let it get in the way of your work." Ryder retaliated . "Speaking of work, we're at the first site." He chuckled. She was obviously trying to end the conversation on her terms.

He could hear the hiss of a vehicle door releasing pressure and then a barrage of gunfire. Reyes leaned across his bed and reached for the omni tool. Turning down the volume, he sighed and sat at the edge of his bed. With his elbows on his knees and head down, he started to twist and stretch his neck. The cool morning air kissing his bare back helped clear his mind and focus. It had been a long night and if she thought she had a lot to do, the Charlatan had more. For every action the Pathfinder did, the Charlatan had at least two and the Pathfinder was turning rocks faster then he could keep up with. Standing up, Reyes walked to the chair and picked up his shirt.

By the time he was almost done putting on his amour, he recognized the Omni tool went silent. Grabbing his assault rifle, he secured it into place on walked back over to the bed. Picking up the omni tool, he was about to examine if the connection was lost when he heard a voice filter through.

"I appreciate the assistance but you need to leave" a male's voice

"I've got experience with Remnant Tech. I know what I'm doing." After a brief pause. "Mostly" Reyes smirked. The Pathfinder hadn't changed from their first encounter in Kadara Port. At Kralla's and outside the Outcast Headquarters, Ryder demonstrated confidence and clarity. But she wasn't too proud to admit she needed help. It seems even after all her successes across Helius, she was still modest. 

"This isn't Ryder's first Monolith" her squadmate defended

"How is that possible?" the male voice questioned

"It'll be easier to show you" Ryder said casually. Not an air of arrogance or impatience in her tone. Reyes found her refreshing. In Kadara, the women were not like Ryder. There was something about her. A certain... dignity that he found appealing. Before he could think further into the matter a deep blast sounded and there was a rumble that reverberated the ground and air. Switching the transmission to his earpiece, he stepped outside to take a look, he saw a beam of light course through the bright sky. He loaded up his encryption key and sent a message to HQ. 

_Crux_

_The Pathfinder is activating the vaults today. Have a team follow the beam to its designated location. Start a sweep of the area for any Outcasts. We want the Pathfinder to succeed in Purifying our vault. Make sure she gets there with minimal obstacles. Once the vault's general area is established, station patrols in a perimeter outside the visual area of the vault. We don't want the Pathfinder to realize what are units are doing and we don't need any low level units shooting at the hip and destroying the Collective's ace card. In regards to that, I want the Pathfinder ALIVE. Spread the word that all units are not to shoot or harm the Pathfinder going forward. Finally, distribute the Informants into the population. Have them imply that the Outcasts are against the Pathfinder improving Kadara's viability. The Pathfinder works fast and we need to be faster. I will keep you informed of further action._

_C_

 

* * *

**Time: Midday**

Standing up, Reyes turned off the omni-tool he was using to monitor Ryder's communication and removed the kinetic barrier he placed when he first arrived in the Haarfel Mountains. From that spot, he had sat and listened to the girls going through the Remnant Vault in the clearing below. It was an intense fight getting in and an intense fight getting out but he was amused that even though it all, the girls still had time to banter. What was even more interesting was that they talked about him. He was flattered to hear how flustered Ryder became when they teased her. The driven and successful Pathfinder becoming flustered when taunts from her crew started.

He had a handful of experiences working with the Pathfinder, along with flirting with her. Images of her flashed through his mind, clearly recalling how the side of her lips raised up, how her eyes brightened when then squinted slightly, and then she would take a small bite of her lower lip. Then if he was lucky to be outside with her, he would get a slight flush to the cheeks that normally wouldn't be visible but Reyes had first discovered outside Outcast headquarters.

Though he mussed about the alluring aspects of Ryder, the conversation in the vaults was enlightening. During the taunt, certain behaviors that he displayed over the course of their partnership, that he wasn't aware of, came to light. Apparently, when Ryder was around, he, _no... they_ , would focus in on each other and disregard all else. He looked over his shoulder before heading into his cargo ship, he saw Ryder swimming in a lake that was acidic not too long ago. He recalled the conversation he overheard of SAM telling her the water was clean before her jumping in. After months of living on Kadara, he adapted to it's dangers. By reflex, he jumped to his feet, ready to run to her aid when she first jumped in, completely disregarding SAM's info or her companions. _Maybe there was some truth to those statements_. He powered up the ship. Unable to let the statement go, he recalled the times he spoke with her in Tartarus. He remembered being aware of her companions with her but disregarding them as unimportant at the time. It wasn't until this morning he cared to learn about her crew. It was sloppy work on his part and it could have been a very dangerous mistake. A feeling of self reproach started to take over. _Never before has a woman distracted me as you do my dear Ryder. What is it about you?_

Flying over the pond, he looked down and saw Ryder floating and staring up to the sky. A smile graced his lips as he decided to make a quick patrol around the area before flying back to Kadara Port. Activating his voice modulator on his omni tool, he spoke " _Clear the units stationed about Haarfel Mountain and tell them they have the night off, courtesy of the Pathfinder. Let them know that the success of the Pathfinder is ensuring the Collective's success over the Outcasts. Also, let's give our unsuspecting agent a gift for her hard work. Station our units inside Kadara Port to secure the docks tonight and give her a supply of our Kadaran Ale. Make sure she knows it's a Thank You gift from the Charlatan."_ Ending the transmission, Reyes took one last look down to the pond. The girls were out of the water now and gearing up. He was proud of Ryder and shared a certain joy in watching her succeed that had nothing to do with the Charlatan or the Collective. In a way, he wished that he could continue to be there for her however indirectly or directly he's been here for her over the past few weeks.

Moments later he was docking his ship at the docks of Kadara Port. By luck, he found a landing zone next to the Tempest. As he waited for the Dock's Manager, Cole Dalton, to come and collect the Outcast "Fees" he leaned against his ship listening to the rumors around him. It seemed the Collective informants worked fast. He heard people talking about the Pathfinder and the monoliths. A certain hope behind their eyes. A hope that they were not doomed to die in Andromeda. No one dare mention the rumors of Sloane in the open but when Ryder was down in the vault, he received a few reports from his Lieutenants. Reports of Outcast members considering desertion. Regular civilians on Kadara saying that Vetra has already been helping to sneak exiles into Initiative Outposts. Chuckling, he couldn't believe the shit that his team came up with. He didn't care what they had to say as long as people started to question Sloane's ability. And through it all, Keema reported that Sloane was putting on a facade of indifference but in reality seemed displeased with the situation. It was understandable she would be displeased and he hoped this cut was deep. The initial chaos with the Initiative and the success of removing the Kett from Kadara solidified her position in Kadara. People followed her and enforced her power which resulted in the protection fees that further cemented her power as a Ruler of Kadara. Sloane prided herself on making Kadara viable, a feat that the Initiative initially failed to do. But Ryder, unknowingly, was challenging the status quo. Today had been a successful day for the Pathfinder but equally successful for the Charlatan. _  
_

"Hey Vidal. What do you have today?"

Reyes focused his attention to Cole. "What do you want to buy? I'm sure I can work something out"

"Not at your prices" Cole countered. "Speaking of, you got to pay up"

Looking wounded, Reyes started to enter the payment into his Omni-tool "You should reconsider what is high if your charging me this much just to dock"

"Just following orders"

As Cole was confirming the transfer, Reyes decided to push for some direct information. "Apparently, something happened. People are running around like chickens. Usually, a dead body or a beat-down in the streets couldn't get this many people talking. Want to fill me in?"

Dalton hesitated but Reyes knew that if Cole had information other people didn't, it made him feel important and he would sing like a canary. "Apparently" Cole started as if the Pathfinder's activities were a secret "the Pathfinder has been busy. She's been activating the monoliths all day. Some say she's acquiring Remnant bots to control and declare war on Sloane." Reyes continued to listen as Cole delivered the rumors. Biting his tongue when incorrect information was given to him and interjecting when needed. Dalton liked to talk, made him feel important but Reyes only cared about establishing an alibi in case he were to ever need it.

As Dalton continued to gossip, Reyes's attention became distracted as Ryder walked through the elevator doors to the docks. She seemed to always catch his attention whenever she walked into a room. _But my interest in Ryder are... professional_. After finishing his thought he didn't feel like that was the correct word but he didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts. Dalton's attention was diverted from his gossiping to Ryder.

"Pathfinder" Cole shouted halfway across the docks as Ryder was walking through the doors. "I got messages from the marketplace vendors. They said they'll have your supplies here in the morning"

Across the docks, Ryder focused her attention of the pair of them. A smile of joy that she had when she first arrived still lingered there. "Thank You Cole"

"Thank You?!" Cole stepped back, surprise and shock at her response. Raising his voice so the whole dock area could hear, he said "You hear that assholes? Thank you!" Redirecting his attention back to Ryder, Cole continued so that everyone could hear "Pathfinder, you keep saying 'Thank You' like that to me and I'll give you whatever your heart desires." A certain fire erupted in Reyes's stomach. He had a sudden impulse to drag the dock manager out into the Badlands and throw him into one of the still acidic ponds. But somehow his body continued to stay leaning against his ship as if enjoying the show instead of displaying the fire inside.

Shaking her head and raising her eyebrows at that horrible line, Ryder didn't let it faze her. She didn't need to raise the volume of her voice, everyone on the docks was quiet, waiting to see how the Pathfinder responded "I don't think you could even fulfill my smallest desire". The beast inside him hummed with satisfaction. The audience had a show. Reyes could see the snickers and covered smiles.

Pride wounded, Dalton tried to recover "I could make you very happy" Images of Dalton screaming and flaying in the pools flashed in his mind.

"Why? Are you leaving?" The docks erupted with laughter and jeers. It was an unusual sight. His whole time here, he's never seen Kadara so carefree, with people smiling and enjoying themselves. He laughed along with the rest of them and his eyes caught hers. Without hesitation, he gave her a wink. He was delighted to see that she smiled back and bit her lower lip. A pleasant tingle started to spread down his neck and down his back. A euphoria he never felt before that seemed to have triggered when Ryder looked at him. He forgot about where he was and the people around him. It seemed like in this moment it was only the two of them.

Then that world shattered as he heard someone laugh and say "That's my Girl" and she broke eye contact. A man approached her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "That's how you handle that". Unlike her dismissal with Cole, she allowed the man in red to remain in place. The warm tingle started fading to nothing and in it's a place a poisonous coil started to wrap around his chest again. He watched as the man started to walk into the Tempest with Ryder.

He stepped forward and away from Dalton without thinking through his actions. He called out to her. "Ryder"

She turned her body away from the man next to her and faced him. The man next to her dropped his arm. A small sense of victory spread through him but now he realized that he called out to her with no real purpose and she was waiting on him to reach her and talk to her with whatever he needed. 

"So apparently, you may have just increased the value of some champagne I just acquired. Rumor has it that you restarted the vault here on Kadara." He was usually good at improvising but right now he felt like shit was coming out of his mouth and he didn't know which direction to continue. He thought back to yesterday and what he said at the Roekaar base. "You couldn't be happy with making the streets of Kadara safe. You just had to go and fix the whole planet." He came up close to her again just as he did yesterday and gave her one of his sly grins. That small bit of victory that he felt earlier grew. Ryder leaned in a bit closer, a flush creeping across her cheeks. The man that was with her apparently forgotten. His eyes drew to her lips as she opened them to say something.

"I don't understand." A deep voice distracted Ryder from saying what she was intending to say to him and she took the smallest step back. They were still intimately close but the moment was gone. When he looked up, he saw her Angaran companion walking toward them "If Ryder..."

"You fucking idiot, Jaal" the man in red that was with her earlier cut him off. This was not what he would have expected a person to say to someone interrupting a moment such as theirs. Especially if said person may have had some intimate feelings of their own. "Capital R - Read the situation and fuck off like I was about to". Turning his attention back to Ryder, the man addressed them  "Take your time Ryder. I'm going to take the biggest failure in galactic history with me and get out of your way."

"It's okay, Gil." She turned her face back to look at him but continued to speak with the man, Gil "I don't doubt Reyes will try to continue this later." she said with a light laugh. "We can just have him stew and wait but more likely he will just forget about this moment until the next time he wants to have a little fun with me."

He hoped that was disappoint he heard in her voice. As he continued to stare back into her eyes, he knew he needed to walk away. He already exposed himself too much and he should course correct. But Ryder hadn't moved since the Angaran showed up and his body was drawn to her. He felt if he were to step away, he would never see sunlight again. He reached his hand up and with the back of his finger he brushed her cheek, right where the faint blush was and in a low soft voice he said "There's not a moment that will go by that I won't think of you" He was rewarded with the sight of her eyelids closing gently and with a little bite of the lip. The smile on his face grew and he knew he needed to leave. He took a step back.

He watched as she opened her eyes and composed herself. She sighed so softly, he was surprised he even noticed. Stepped away from him but before turning around to walk back to her ship, she replied in her own soft voice "Good". Then she turned away. As she took a few steps towards her crew and ship she looked over her shoulder and gave him a warm smile. The tingling feeling on his neck flaring up again and spreading down his back and across his body. It was a feeling of pleasure he never wanted to let go of. 

 

 


	3. Always the Gentleman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final Chapter to Girls Night in Kadara, except girls night ended up being a night with Reyes Vidal. Super Fluffy, sweet.
> 
> It stays in line with the Kadara arc. After the Roekaar mission and before Zia's Mission

 "I don't quite understand. If he's such a gallant, why does he have his door closed?" Suvi asked as she walked up to the table outside Reyes's private room "You say he's always closed inside when you come here?"

"All the time" Peebee confirmed

"You would think a man with his reputation would be out here enjoying the views instead of locked in a private room." Cora contributed

"But now that you mention it, I haven't seen him show interest in anyone, except Ryder of course" Peebee said

As soon as they arrived at Tartarus, everyone decided that they wanted a table upstairs. They claimed there was more room to relax and had a better view. _A better view of Reyes_. She wasn't fooled and being up here gave her a certain nervousness. She hadn't felt on edge like this ever. Not even when she was getting ready to flee the purification field in the Vault. The last time she saw Reyes was on the docks and he completely turned her head around. She didn't know how she should act or what she should say when she saw him again. Usually their flirting was just fun... harmless and never as intimate as it was this afternoon. After that moment on the docks she couldn't comprehend much of what the crew told her. Apparently in her daze, she accepted a case of Kadaran Beer from the Charlatan, which she might have turned away if her head was on straight and agreed to allow the girls to dress her up for tonight's 'Girl's Night'. Suvi and Cora did her hair and make up and Gil and Vetra raided her closet and hunted through everyone's belongings to make up her outfit. So here she was in a green tank and tan pants. She'd never been in the slums without her armor. Most people would feel vulnerable but she felt free, as if removing herself of her armor she was temporarily removing herself from her Initiative responsibilities. But she wrapped a holster and pistol around her leg. Not the smartest thing to bring while drinking but this was Kadara. She had it as a backup to her biotics, a little something her Dad instilled in her. 

"I asked around the port today about Reyes" Vetra started "Reyes certainly has reputation but when I tried to find someone for details, I couldn't find any bleeding hearts in his wake. It's unusual and I don't like it. Ryder, if you want to have your fun, that's fine but make sure you keep your guard up. The math doesn't add up. Somethings not right."

"And... I think that's my queue to leave and get us some drinks" She was glad to walk away. She knew Vetra meant well but it made her uneasy knowing that while she was denying her attraction to Reyes this morning with Cora and Peebee, Vetra was doing recon work on Reyes's love life. As she started to walk down the stairs, the nervous energy she felt upstairs started to fade away. She felt like she could breath again.

As she headed to the bar, Kain gave her a big smile. She could see him starting to mix a drink. "Well, if it isn't the Pathfinder." He poured the drink into a glass and handed it to her. Confused she looked at the drink before looking at Kain again. "It's on the house. A little 'Thank You' from me to you."

"Thank you but I didn't..."

She must still have looked confused because he kept going "Tartarus has never been this busy. It seems that people want to relax, spend credits, and drink when they realize that things aren't going to shit. So, as a Thank You for making me a rich man tonight, your drink is on the house."

Looking at the drink, a choking feeling at the back of her throat started to take hold. His words were hidden behind a facade but it meant more to her than any compliment the Initiative ever gave her. Trying to move around the choking feeling she quietly responded "Thank you Kain". She took the drink and started to drink it. "Kadara Sunrise?"

Kain laughed "You always order it whenever you come here so I figured it was your favorite. And you come here quiet a bit so it's not that hard to remember." She gave Kain a small laugh and took another drink. When she put her drink down he continued, "So, by the way you look today, I'm guessing you're here for pleasure and not business."

"Is it that obvious?"

"You look stunningly attractive tonight." She smiled, Kain was fun to talk to and she could see he didn't have any ulterior motives so just took the compliment. "My question is, why dress up and look as pretty as you do and slum it down here and not in Kralla's?"

"Easy. The guys like to drink at Kralla's and the girls and I don't really want them hovering over us."

"You know we don't have the most reputable people here."

"I think we'll be okay."

"Yeah, knowing you, you probably will. So... I'm guessing you wanted a little more then just a chat?"

"I always like talking to you but I have 6 people waiting for me to get drinks so could I get 7 Kadara Sunrises?" Opening up her omni tool, she started to transfer the credits for the drinks. While she waited for the transaction to pass, a couple of krogans lined up to the right of her. She could overhear their not so quiet conversation

"I don't understand why we work with that son of a bitch. Fucking bastard charges 10 times what this shit is worth"

"Reyes is the only one who can get his hands on it. We've tried to work with other people but he's the only one who ever gets results"

Her Omni tool beeped, alerting her to a completed transfer "Obviously you can't carry all the drinks so I'll have the hostess bring it up to you guys when I'm done making them" Kain gave her a smile before directing his attention to the krogans next to her.

"Thanks Kain" Grabbing her drink, she started to make her way back to the stairs. She thought about what the krogans said. She knew Reyes was a smuggler. It seems a very good one since he was the only person to get what the krogans needed and were willing to overpay. She was surprised how little this bothered her. When she first became Pathfinder, she saw a things in black and white. Since then, she discovered the world was filled with spider webs. So many threads that got all tangled up. People making decisions with their backs up to the wall. Because of hindsight, it was easy to judge what someone did but she'd seen too much and made the same poor decisions others had. She had no right to judge people. When she needed to make decisions now, nothing was ever right or wrong to her anymore. It was hard for the head's of the Initiative to see. They wanted things to be simple and they let her know when they didn't approve but since she was getting results, they mostly kept their mouth shut.

Just as she reached the stairs, a song she's been into blasted over the speakers. She started dancing up the stairs and she couldn't help laugh at herself. She remembered her first meeting in Kralla's a month ago. She called Reyes a smuggler with disdain. Now, she could care less that he was. He needed to do what he had to do to survive. Dancing around the turians heading down, she shook her head and laughed at herself and how she changed since coming to Andromeda.

Looking up, she focused her attention back to her team and she saw her group looking back at her. She stopped mid dance her breath lost for there was Reyes, talking with them as well. The laugh from earlier cut short as she inhaled trying to get air back in her. After heading downstairs she forgot about the butterflies in the stomach and got so lost in the song and her thoughts she didn't have time to prepare herself to see Reyes again. Awkwardly, she started walking toward the group. Part of her wanting to continue to sway to the beat but the bigger part of her embarrassed being caught dancing, by herself. Her crew had gotten used to her and her unique quarks. Running into a door frame or random dancing were brushed off as a daily occurrence but she wasn't ready to show that side of herself to Reyes yet. In one step, her mind raced through a million options of what she should do. _I should give him a hug... or I could ignore him... No I should at least acknowledge him. I should at least say 'Hi'... 'Hi?' that's fucking stupid. Maybe I should at least walk up to him and find a spot next to him. It looks like Gil's talking to Vetra, maybe I should hear what they're talking about and butt in on their conversation?_  She took another step forward. _Get a Grip, me. Those are all fucking horrible ideas. I can face off with a group of Roekaar unarmed with little worry but facing Reyes after this afternoon is what scares me?_   _And why is everyone staring at me? Was my dancing that bad or do I have something on me?  Would be weird to start checking._

She took another step and she was spared further turmoil when Gil addressed her "You better have been flirting with someone. It's the only excuse I'll accept for you taking so long"

"Yeah, the bartender. Got my drink on the house"

"And it looks like you forgot to get us one while you were down there?" Gil continued

"He said he'd send the hostess up with the rest of our drinks in a moment"

"You must be quite the charmer. My whole time here, Kain's never given anyone a free drink." Reyes joked to her.

Relief swept through her as she made the final distance to the table. It felt like a spell, or better yet the curse, on her lifted. With him talking to her first she didn't feel like she needed to have one of the awkward moments she imagined seconds ago. No, he spoke to her like he always had and somehow the lack of confidence she felt was no longer there. She walked up to the open spot next to Reyes, turned her back to the table, half sitting half leaning against the table and looked up at Reyes in front of her. "I've been told I'm an embarrassing flirt. Apparently, it's painful to watch" She could feel Peebee fidget next to her and apparently Reyes noticed cause his eyes moved away from hers to Peebee. The left side of his lips rose and his eyes smiled as if he knew exactly why she was fidgeting.

Looking back at her, Reyes continued "I'd like to see that. You should try seducing me."

"And thoroughly embarrass myself?" She exhaled in a bit of a laugh. She was thankful that she had a drink. She finished what was left to give herself a moment. Not that she could think about anything except how Reyes was watching her, a knowing look that he flustered her. "Not how I want to start off my night. Who knows, ask again after I get a few drinks in me and you might get lucky"

Reyes leaned closer to her "I like the idea of getting lucky with you"

"Thank the Goddess!... Drinks" Next to her Peebee bolted to the hostess.

Usually she could counter him on the fly but timing of Peebee jumping away and yelling "Thank the Goddess"? stopped her. The whole time Peebee was with her, she never heard her say that. She would expect it to come out of Cora's mouth but never Peebee's. She was thrown out of Reyes's hold and she started to laugh. She hadn't laughed so carefree since coming to Andromeda. All the pressure and stress of being the Pathfinder completely forgotten.

When she had composed herself, Reyes spoke in his silky voice "I don't think I've ever seen you this... relaxed. It's unusual to see the Pathfinder so unrestrained"

"The Pathfinder is out of commission for the night. Tonight, I'm here to drink and have fun. See hair down and everything" She whipped her head slightly in his direction to toss the hair near her eyes away. 

"Yeah, it's 'Girl's Night' and this one here..." Peebee said walking up to them and she handed her another drink "really needs to unwind. So... 'Little Duck'... " Peebee motioned for her to go down the stairs.

She stood up and addressed Peebee "That's not a thing. Stop trying to make that a thing"

Peebee head toward the stairs. "Make me"

"It's not a thing" she yelled to Peebee's back as she walked down the stairs

Exhaling in frustration she shook her head and turned around to look up at Reyes. He smiled and gave her a little tint of the head "Little Duck?"

"Worst nickname ever. This guy on Eos gave it to me. Peebee and Liam have been using as often as they could since Bane first started calling me that."

"Bain Massani?"

"Yeah... How'd you know?"

"He's a supplier of mine. My last _supply_ run was to Eos and Bain was telling me some interesting stories." Reyes laughed "So... you're little duck."

"No..." she said trying to cut him off "This is not becoming a thing... And what stories did he tell you?" She was worried. She had made a fool of herself in front of Bain. It didn't help get rid of her 'Little Duck' nickname.

Reyes gave her an evil smile "What will you give me if I tell you"

Biting her lip, she started into his eyes and he looked back, waiting for her. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he knew but she was drawn to him. Flirting back with him was fun and easy and it made her feel like she was just a normal woman.  

"Ryder, you get down here." She could hear Lexi yelling from below. Her shoulders slumped and she failed to hide her exasperation when she exhaled "I was 900 pages into my research analysis when you dragged me here to this hellhole. You get down here now or..."

"She didn't mean hellhole in a bad way Kain..." Peebee yelled over Lexi to Kain

"Don't worry, I know it's a hellhole. You're the idiots that want to be here" Kain yelled back

"He's got a point" Vetra could be heard among them

Reyes quietly chuckled but still watched her "Apparently you don't have time to hear about any of the stories." Nodding to refer to the show downstairs. "It's a shame, there were some really amusing stories too"

"Great..." Knowing full well he probably did know some embarrassing stories. Breaking eye contact she looked down and placed her fingers to her forehead. The little second helped her focus back to why she was here. Looking back up to Reyes "Do you want to join us?" Her hand by her mouth, she bit the tip of her nail

"No. That's okay. If the Pathfinder is out of commission for the night... I really should get some of my more shadier business done before she comes back". A small sly grin on his face.

"Yeah... I hear that Pathfinder seems to get into everyone's business." 

"Oh you have no idea" Reyes continued to play along "She's always coming here and distracting me."

She started to walk to the stairs. She knew if she didn't leave now, she'd might not leave. Turning around she said "She sounds like a real pain in the ass. You really should take advantage of her absence"

"But even when she's not here, she still seems to distract me in my thoughts as well. That Pathfinder is devious"

She blushed from the implications he was making. She reached the stairs and took a step down. Turning around, she couldn't resist "If she distracts you so much, maybe you should do something about it"

"Oh I try but she seems to have a mild resistance to me"

Taking another step down "Maybe you're not as charming as you thing"

"Oh I'm charming"

"Or maybe you're the one resisting?" She took another step down making the distance greater between them but her words trying to draw him to her. But he remained standing where she'd first seen him "... At least the Pathfinder knows to take a break once in a while" 

"I'm a smuggler. I don't work that hard"

"Mmhmm... why don't I believe you Reyes Vidal?" Biting her lip, she didn't want to leave but she could feel the eyes of her group on her "If you change your mind, the invitation to join me is open"

"Very tempting and I'm having a difficult time trying to keep myself from joining you..."

"I can tell" She mocked and gave him one more smile before turning around and descending down the remaining steps and as she walked down she felt a bit of disappointment. Vetra's comment earlier came back. "He's got a reputation but no bleeding hearts in his wake" _Not sure that could be true. In one way he makes you feel you're the only woman in the world but the next moment he puts up a wall and you question if that moment you were 'special' was real or not_. She got to the bottom of the stairs and found Suvi waiting for her.

"Well he's quite the charmer." Suvi said as she hooked her arm in hers and walked to the dance floor together.

 

* * *

 

Reyes leaned against the railing watching the people below. He saw the Krogans that he just finished business with drinking, clearly agitated and unhappy. They might become a problem. He saw a man walking near them making his way around the dance floor and sitting down at the nearest table where Ryder and her group converged. He was a Collective operative best known for staying inconspicuous. It was a risk having requested him here tonight. He's already used too many operatives today to help the Pathfinder. If he wasn't careful, operatives will start to question the Charlatan's personal interest. Finally, his eyes lingered on Ryder. He laughed to himself a bit. Everyone else in Tartarus let loose and became wild when dancing. Ryder stood in one area, arms up by her torso and she slightly swung her hips to the beat. He recalled her swaying and dancing around the turians earlier. She seemed more carefree then than she did now. He wanted to take Ryder up on her offer and go down to the dance floor. He would have wrapped his hand around her and brought her body up against his. It was difficult denying Ryder when she asked him to join. If he had the luxury, he would have but he was the Charlatan. In most situations, he would have already cut relations with people. He hadn't allowed people to mix into his personal life. Last girl he did, he ended it before it got too personal, plus she was a piece of work.

He stood and watched as a turian approached the group. He looked like a lion looking for the weakest prey. Apparently, he settled on Ryder's red haired companion. He could see from here that she rejected him but he persisted and started to pull her toward him. Gil and Ryder clearly concerned approached the man. Ryder got there first and got in between the two of them. The turian must of said something Ryder didn't like cause she started to glow blue and he flew across the room, missing every table, chair, and person until he hit the wall near the krogans. The crowd on the dance floor cheered, the krogans were in a better mood after watching the show, and he just got an idea on how to kill Sloane. 

 

Reyes rubbed his forehead. It seemed tonight was the longest night in history. Looking at his omni tool, it wasn't even two hours since Ryder and her team arrived in Tartarus. It only took him an hour to plan Sloane's murder. He looked over a detailed report from Crux informing him about someone impersonating the Charlatan. That gave him a good distraction for about half an hour. He just put down another report that the Outcast operative they had in custody confirmed that Laserta was no longer alive and that Outcast member had been taken care of, that barely gave him 2 minutes of distraction. He needed to get out of this room. Usually this room was a sanctuary for him but with Ryder in the other room, his mind was unfocused. His two worlds were blending. One minute, he's determining it's best that Sloane distrusts her crew by having his double agents inside the Outcasts beat the shit out of Kaetus. It would put her on edge like Ryder was earlier with Suvi. The next minute he was imagining Ryder dancing with some guy downstairs instead of throwing him across the room. The room felt confining and he needed to leave. Stepping out of his room, he was relieved to see that Ryder and her group weren't outside his room. As he made his way across the floor he heard some guy downstairs singing a song "The Angara, Have a bar-a, Where Peebee got tipsy" He couldn't resist, looking over the ledge he saw Gil with his arm around Peebee, both trying to stop each other from falling over "She's a flirt, Even Alert, But sauced, she's a pixie"

Reyes laughed as he opened the door amazed at the spectacle below. He only spent a few moments with Ryder's crew but from what he saw, they were good people. They subtly tried to interrogate him but in a way, they made him feel welcome. A feeling he hadn't experienced since waking in Andromeda. And he knew that wouldn't last if they were to find out who he was. The door closed behind him and he welcomed the silence and cool air. He walked across the deck to the overhang and stared out into the Badlands. For the first time in days, his mind was blank. He didn't think about anything that happened or think about what needed to be done. He just let himself get lost in the night.

After a few moments, he heard the door open and close behind him. He refocused his attention back to reality and turned around unsure if he wanted to go back inside or if he should just leave for the night. But then he saw that Ryder had stepped outside.

"Oh... I'm sorry. Didn't realize you were here" She was alone

"It's a big platform. I think there's room for more than one person" he responded without thinking. He knew he should distance himself from her but he was tired of fighting against himself. He spent the last 2 hours avoiding her and now that she was in front of him he didn't want to fight against it anymore. He watched as she walked toward him. Her eyes focusing on the Badlands he was just staring at.

"Kadara's beautiful, isn't it?" she said with some wonder

It was unexpected and he let out out a laugh "You must have bad taste. Kadara's a shithole. I don't think I've heard anyone call this place beautiful"

She remained silent. He thought he might have offended her when he laughed. He leaned against the railing and looked out with her. Wind picking up and wrapping around them. Finally, she spoke and he turned his head and watched her "To me it's beautiful... once you get past the smell." she smirked, hair flying around her face but ignoring it "I've been to a few planets and Kadara really stands out for me. The mountains and the springs make Kadara _naturally_ beautiful. It's the people and the constant survival that make you forget that there's more here. But for me, Kadara makes me feel..." she struggled to find the word. "... like me"

She looked beautiful leaning against the railing staring off into the distance, hair dancing around her. She looked at him "I'm not making sense, am I?" Without waiting for a response, she continued "I guess what I mean is, here I can be free to be who I am and not who people want me to be"

He stood up and turned his back to the badlands and leaned up against the railing. "Surely, the Pathfinder, could go where she wants and do what she pleases. Isn't that freeing?"

A melancholy look spread across her face. "It's being the Pathfinder that's constricting." She looked at him. "Do you ever feel this way?"

He gave her his smirk and a tilt of the head "Can't say I have" He didn't know if she could see through his fake charm. She looked away from him. "But if I did... flying" She looked back at him, "Flying would make me feel that way" She gave him a smile that made him happy that he was able to put it there, even if it was a small one. "But Kadara? Really? Out of all the places you've been?"

He watched her as he saw the wheels work behind her eyes. Waited for her to talk whenever she worked out her thoughts. "On Eos, Havarl, and Voeld I'm always ON as 'the Pathfinder' and it can be suffocating. Elaaden isn't that bad. The Krogans there treat me well enough. They don't care about 'the Pathfinder' as long as I don't mess with what they built and I respect Drack too much to do that. But I'm not a fan of the desert. Kadara... as you said the first time we met, I'm not really liked here so people have left me alone. I think I can truly let myself be me here." 

He had to chuckle. "Kadara and Elaaden... sounds like you like the scoundrels"

She looked at him and gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I really should just quit and become riff raff myself" she paused for a moment. "You know, I actually went swimming today in one of the springs?" She sounded surprised

He recalled how she striped off her armor and dove into the spring. "Is that why your hair was wet when you walked onto the docks today?"

"You noticed?" she said slightly embarrassed

"You didn't think people would?" He came back with. He could have told her that her wet hair made her look sexy, thrown her off her guard, but he hadn't had a genuine conversation with anyone since waking up from cryo. He felt like a regular human being again. After a short pause "I couldn't see you do it." She gave him a confused look "Becoming a scoundrel, I mean. You care too much. Plus, I think you like your job no matter how confining you may find it at times."

Smiling, she looked up into the sky. "Maybe. But it would have been nice to have been able to make that choice. It has it's rewards but I'd like to think someday I could just explore or do whatever I want and not have the fate of everyone's lives on my shoulders."

"Well, when things get overwhelming just come back to Kadara." She turned in surprise and looked at him again.  "It might not be easy for you to get lost in the crowd but like you said people here will leave you alone. Or you can risk going swimming in another spring but you still might get shot at." He had to joke but then his laugh faded and he became serious again. Against all reason he added "Or I can be here for you if you need". _So much for not mixing my personal life in business. But who am I kidding, I've been balancing on a fine line since meeting her. It was only a matter of time before I fell off the tightrope. I'm just hoping I fell off the wrong way._

"Reyes..." he heard her say his name and his stomach turned into a knot. He wanted her to say his name again but he couldn't let himself succumb to his wants. He stood up and started to unzip his jacket. She seemed to be distracted by what he was doing. Taking off his jacket, the cold night air helped refocus his mind. He walked around behind Sara and held up his jacket. She gave him a questioning look and he continued to hold the jacket in place. She started to put one arm through. "Thank You" she said softly as she allowed him to help her other arm through.

Gently placing the weight of his jacket on her shoulders he reached up and his fingers brushed her neck. He could feel her torso rise as she inhaled. He continued to sweep his hands across her neck and gathered her hair along the way. Using Dalton's words he said "You keep saying 'Thank You' like that to me and I'll give you whatever your heart desires." He had to admit, it was a good line. He started to pull the hair that was trapped in his jacket out from it's prison. He heard a small breathy sigh escape her in what he hoped was a laugh or a smile but since he was behind her, he couldn't read her face. He hoped that she bit her lip in the way he liked but feared she would retaliate against him like she did with Dalton. Some wind caught some strands of hair and they flew free in the air, the rest cascade down and around his hand, softly brushing against him. He laid the hair he rescued against her back. He saw that her hair had a wave that he never noticed before. Taking courage that she didn't shoot him down yet, he walked again in front of her and leaned against the railing. Enjoying the view of her in his jacket.

"I thought you were lying about being a gentleman?" 

"I wasn't. I've never given the clothes off my back for anyone or done anything nice for anyone before."

"So... why" she shook he head in confusion?

"Maybe I needed reminding that I could be a gentleman." She moved next to him, a comfortable silence between them as she turned around and leaned against the railing with him, both now looking across the upper deck of Tartarus.

It felt like an eternity the two of the sitting there but at the same time it felt like it wasn't long enough when he heard Ryder chuckle to herself. He looked at her, wanting to know what made her smile. She must have understood the inquisitive look he gave her because he didn't need to ask for her to start telling him what she was thinking. "I was just imagining what this place could possibly be." She looked at him. He clearly didn't understand so she continued "Imagine, tables out here on the deck" she spread her arms in front of her as if she could wave her imagination to life "string of lights flicking to life as Kadara's sun starts to set, the fence gone and people enjoying the mountainous view at their tables while they wait for the waiters to serve them..." she seemed momentary lost for words "steak"

He couldn't help but laugh. He's only ever know Kadara as a murderous filthy cesspool. The air smelled as foul as the water was dangerous. It was barely half a day since she purified the vault. The planet's improvements barely taking effect and she was already imagining out of this world possibilities. But as she explained her vision, he could see it too... families coming to dine here, a couple enjoying dinner when one stands up and gets on one knee... It was a beautiful world she imagined and he hoped one day her dream could become a reality. But in this reality, Sloane was in power and that dream would never happen and the Slums would continue to be the vile place it is, where people fall over dead from starvation or drug overdose while others walk over their corpses as if it was another rock in the way and not a dead body. "Are you sure you're the Pathfinder? You seem more like a child with her head in the clouds." He saw the spark she had when she was talking fade and the vision he saw, the string of lights surrounding the deck, dim and fade to oblivion. He felt as if he crushed a beautiful dream. A dream he now wished to see come true as well. Before he could rectify what he said, she spoke up next to him.

"I guess I get it from my father." He looked at her. She wasn't looking at anything. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. He knew what happened to her father, even without the resources of the Collective, everyone knew the circumstances that thrust her into the Pathfinder role. He wanted to reach out but he continued to just stay by her side listening. What words could he say that didn't sound hollow? "He said he was dreamer and that I too was like him. Said I followed in his footsteps, that I was able to imagine the possibilities no matter how impossible. I saw the similarities then but I didn't fully get it, until now." Coming out of her mind she looked back at him. 

His chest tightened and his breath caught in his throat. She gave him a look that he knew all to well, it was one that screamed out to understand and to be understood, and he did. "That vision..." he started to say, swallowing the lump in his throat, and he looked back across the deck "The tables... the string of lights..." as he talked the image and hope he thought that faded to oblivion started to grow back in force "What would you say if I told you I saw it too... but in my vision... I saw families, I even saw a couple get engaged over there" and he pointed to the area on the deck he envisioned it. Dropping his hand he turned his head and looked at her. "You have a beautiful mind. You seem to blind me with your vision. But promise me one thing?"

Apparently she was at a loss for words cause she just nodded to him "When you're out there fighting, keep yourself safe. And... I don't know how to say this" he looked at his feet trying to find the best way to say it. "You shine bright, blinding almost. And I'm afraid you'll use all that energy and like a firework or like the sun, you'll go out in a blaze of light." He looked up from his feet and into her eyes "I fear that with you not around, I won't be able to see the world you see." He knew what he said was not eloquently put together but it was now out there. "So what I'm saying is, don't die out there."

He saw her open her mouth and his eyes focused on her lips. He saw her lips move as she said "I promise"

He didn't trust himself not to grab her and kiss her. So he stood up and took a couple of steps toward the stairs. That was a line he couldn't cross. "Good" Turning around he looked back at her "Now let's get you back to your ship". He stepped down the stairs to the right and held out his hand to her. The left set of stairs would have been faster by a minute, but he wanted that minute with her.

She stopped at the top of the stairs before taking his hand. "You know... I haven't been drunk for a while now, I think I can walk down the stairs perfectly fine"

She may have said that but she didn't hesitate to take his hand and didn't show any signs of drawing her hand out of his grasp. "I know you can" he said as he helped guide her down the stairs "but let me be a gentleman for once." He looked up at her and was happy to see her biting her lip as she watched where her footing landed.

When he reached the ground he looked up and watched as Ryder took the last few steps. She too looked at him and there must have been a look of his face cause she asked "What?"

Fearing to say what he really thought, he defaulted to his charismatic wall, "I was just thinking, I kind of like seeing you in my clothes"

"It must have been an unusual experience for you. Putting clothes on a woman instead of taking them off" she fired back.

"But not an unpleasant one". He recalled how smooth her skin felt compared to his calloused fingers. 

"What are you scared off Reyes?" she said with a soft voice and a concern behind her gaze. He could tell she wasn't fooled by his misdirection.

They stood there, her standing on the last step made her the same height as him. He felt rooted to the spot and if he moved a fraction he might fall through Kadara's ground. Without thinking about it, she pulled the truth from him like metal to a magnet "That you may see me for who I truly am, and you won't like what you'll see" Shocked at what he said and that he said it. He didn't realize himself that was how he felt. He dropped her hand from his grasp and started to walk toward the elevator. He needed a moment to comprehend this revelation and how she was able to get him to admit it so easily.

But before he could take more then a few steps, she was by his side and grabbing his arm, stopping him from walking away from her. She stood in front of him, looking up at him. "Reyes..." she pleaded with him and the grip on his arm tightened slightly. 

"I'm not a good man, Sara. This person you think you see and know..." he shook his head as he looked at her "It's who I want you to see but it's not who I am."

Her eyes searched his, he could hear the ground around them spitting water into the air, finally she gave a sad smile "Maybe the person I know and see _is_ who you truly are but you're too scared to see it." She focused her sight towards his chest and put the hand not holding his arm over his heart but instead of focusing on him, she was lost in her own thoughts. Hesitantly, she started to talk "You may think your a bad man but I see that you care... a lot. I mean what kind of smuggler cares about getting rid of the Roekaar?" Fear took hold of him. His heart raced and with only a shirt between her hand and his heartbeat, he could only hope she didn't realize his heart race. But maybe his heart was already racing before she said anything. She was astute and he didn't know if he should deny the claim or accept the observation. He didn't know which one might lead her to connect the dots to him being the Charlatan. Before he decided she continued talking, not noticing the panic he felt inside "But I've done a lot of horrible things too, even killed people. But my actions were spun to be an act of good by the Initiative. So maybe I'm the pretender.  I pretend to be good because I want to be but I'm actually... not" She looked at him, looking to him for an answer.

He reached up and like this afternoon, rubbed her check with his hand. "I don't believe you could be a horrible person. Even if you've done horrible things, I don't think you enjoy it and I think that it probably torments you."

"If you can believe that, without any evidence or proof, why can't you believe me?"

Exhausted and defeated, he exhaled while he grabbed her and drew her closer to him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and placed the other one on her head. He brought is head down and rested his chin on her head, he took a deep breath in. The scent of her surrounded him and comforted him. Their embrace wasn't one of intimacy but one of need. He needed her, even if just for a moment. His fingers intertwined in her hair. He let himself indulge in the feel of her and in her scent for a bit before he pulled away and looked at her. "Come on" he barley said above a whisper. Turning back, he started to head back toward the elevator. They walked in silence, side by side, no longer holding hands. Before they reached the elevator, he started to laugh.

"What?" he heard next to him

Looking over as he kept walking, he said "I think I'm not the only 'Shena' anymore"

"Why cause I'm good with my mouth?" she teased back.

Laughing he held out his hand to help her get on the elevator. It looked like the elevator was malfunctioning again and it was a foot and a half off the ground. "I told you that when we first met, didn't I?" Standing on the platform, she looked at him in confusion while he got on the elevator with her. Heading over to the console, he hit the button to bring them up to the docks. "Shena was intended to be construed as 'Bullshitter'. But I like my version better." He said smiling at her

"So you think what I said was bullshit?" she placed her hands on her hips but there was no indignant tone in her words. He knew she was trying to mess with him

"You asked why I laughed." The elevator started to slow "But no, you are just good with your mouth"

The elevator doors opened. A eerie silence spread before them. He could see a Collective operative pretending to sleep on some crates near the area he docked earlier. A few Outcast operatives taking supply boxes on the opposite end. He could feel him start to close up. The world they shared below fading to memory and the precautious nature of the Charlatan and Reyes Vidal, the smuggler, starting to take hold.

While he still could indulge, he walked with her to the Tempest. "Where are you heading now?" It was a practical question but the whole time in the Slums, they barely spoke about work. His question felt as if he was bringing them back to reality.

"After speaking to Vehn, he gave us the location of a Kett transponder. While Gil was working on fixing it, Drack had a melt down so we went to Elaaden. While we were there we recovered the coordinates to the Archon's ship." They walked up the Tempest ramp and were outside the ship's entrance "I've been avoiding going after him. I convinced everyone to come back here and purify Kadara's vault first since it was the only one not done. I told them if anything happened to us, at least everyone else had a good start to survive." He watched her but she refused to look at him.

"Unbelievable" she continued not to look at him so he reached out and put his thumb to her chin and placed the fingers underneath her chin. He lightly rubbed her chin with his thumb and lifted her head enough for her to look at him. "I ask you to take care of yourself and now you're telling me you're going into the Lion's den?"

She gave him a sad look and quietly said "I don't have a choice"

"Bullshit Ryder" His hand moved from her chin to her cheek. As he caressed her check with his thumb, his fingers brushed against her neck and ears. He realized how big his hand was compared to her. Had she always been this small and delicate? No, she was always confident and strong, and he knew she was, but in this moment he wanted to just protect her. He was dangerous but he never wanted to hurt her. But the Kett... They wanted to kill them all and in particular, the woman in front of him. "I may be an insignificant smuggler in your life and I can't tell you what to do but you should know... you don't owe the Initiative anything either." 

"Reyes... you're not insignificant. And I have to. Who else will if I don't? And I'm too invested already. I don't think I could just hide out in the Badlands and ignore the situation. How could I live with myself if I knew I could have helped but didn't, you know?"

Oh... he knew. He knew exactly what she was saying. It was why he became the Charlatan. She somehow always seemed to win against him. He had no argument. Exhaling in defeat, he brought his forehead to her's, and closed his eyes. "You really should have that Doctor of yours check you out. There's something wrong with you... and me apparently"

She gave a soft chuckle but then she inhaled in surprise. Concerned, he took a step back and looked at her. Her eyes were wide open and she was reaching her hand up to cover her mouth. Confused, he gave her a look asking what was wrong and concerned maybe he misread the moment. In shock, she quietly said "I forgot all about them."

"Who?"

"Everyone... I went outside to get a bit of fresh air and then..." she used the hand that was covering her mouth to make a 'poof' motion with her hand.

Thinking about it, he too forgot about her companions. Last he saw of them was when Gil was leaning drunk against Peebee and singing a song about her. "That was hours ago"

"I know!" She looked around like they could be out on the dock's somewhere. She lifted her hand and rubbed her forehead and she squeezed her eyes shut. "SAM?" she asked hesitantly "Could you give me a status on the crew?" Her eyes still shut waiting for the answer. He wasn't sure what answer she expected or wanted. 

"The crew has returned and are in Liam's rec room watching a movie."

"Everyone?"

"Yes Pathfinder"

"Thanks SAM" she looked up at him and then turned her gaze to the door of the ship. 

For some reason she didn't look relieved. She almost looked fidgety "At least there all back at the Tempest, safe and sound" he tried to comfort her

"It's not what I'm worried about" She looked back at him "The room they're all in... It's right next to this entrance. And it's not like I can jimmy a window or go through the airlock." she let out a big exhale "I feel like a teenager again. Sneaking home past curfew and hoping the parent's wouldn't notice." Then a spark behind her eyes lit "Could you help me?"

He found her distress entertaining and cute. She was always responsible and mature, and even though she had a lot of snark, he forgot she was still a few years younger then him. "I'm not sure" he teased

"Please don't make me beg" she pleaded

"I'd like to see that" He could feel the divide between the two worlds they shared. With the teasing and the joking, he was putting up a barrier between her and him. One meant for his protection, and now hers. But he kept one foot in the other world. Unwilling to let that moment, chapter, dream, whatever they could call it, go. "But I guess I'll have something to look forward to the next time I see you" he strongly hinted

"Thank you" she whispered in relief clearing missing the implication he made. "Okay I'm going to open the door... tell me if they notice?"

He nodded and she activated her omni tool and the door to the ship started to open. He looked at her and smiled. She was taking a deep breath in and closing her eyes. Clearly panicking for what might come next. Coming intimately closer to her he took a stray bit of hair and put it behind her ear. "So, if they noticed..." he said quietly so only she could hear "should we give them a show?" He still continued to look at her but from his peripherals he could see her crew pop their heads over to the door way. Even if he didn't see them, he could hear them shushing and scrambling to their feet for a better view. "Because they're watching" He kept his hand in her hair and started to play with it. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand and she exhaled slowly. He couldn't help but smile as he continued to look at her, all of her. He wondered if she's shown these pieces of her to anyone else. Images of their night flashed in his mind- Ryder laughing on the deck, Ryder lost in wonder starting into space, Ryder coy as he helped her down the stairs, Ryder scared when he hugged her in the cave, and now a vulnerable Ryder.

"Take me away" she said softly still enjoying the feeling of him playing with her hair.

"From the big bad Tempest crew?" she opened her eyes and lifting her head, she pleaded a smile at him "A smuggler knows the best treasures are taken when no one knows it's being stolen." She looked down and bit bit her lip as she smirked. He wondered if she knew she had a tell. After a moment, her nerves returned and she took a deep breath. It looked like she was preparing to go into battle and he let out a laugh and quietly told her "You weren't this terrified when you were talking about going after the Archon."

"I think my crew would scare the Archon." She backed away from him and started to take off his jacket.

"Eh... they seem harmless"

"So if I invite you in, will you join me?" she said while handing him back his armored jacket

He looked over at her crew watching them from the doorway across the hangar bay. When he made eye contact, they seemed to squirm away back into the room. He took his jacket with one hand but made sure to grab her outstretched hand with his other hand

"Tonight, I'm going to be the model gentleman and leave you at your doorstep tonight" he said and bent over and kissed the top of her hand.

He let her hand go and straightened back up with a smirk on his face. She was biting her lip again and then she said "Coward"

He laughed and started to walk away. Before he could take a couple of steps he turned back around. She hadn't moved yet "You'll keep your promise?" He thought back to their last moment on the deck.

"I Promise"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it. It's only my 2nd Fanfic and I'm really proud of it.
> 
> Fun Things I imagined as I was writing this... years in the future, Tartarus does become a restaurant and Reyes proposes to Ryder in the same place he envisioned it years earlier when they were 2 people who barely knew each other
> 
> Also, my first fic, To Risk the Heart, could follow this scene easily. http://archiveofourown.org/works/10606776


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